At the Expo Grounds in Gikondo on Monday, residents queued for hours to register for the new Digital ID, taking advantage of services for those who missed the exercise when it was conducted in Kigali and other parts of the country.
By 1pm, the NIDA stand was among the busiest at the expo, which was on its final day. Two queues had formed, one for people checking and completing their identity information through Irembo, and another for those waiting to have their photographs taken.
Also read: What to know about digital ID for foreign nationals
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Jean d'Amour Ukwitegetse, from Kinyinya Sector, Gasabo District, arrived at 11am.
He said he had missed the registration process due to work, but now he decided to use the opportunity at the expo on its final day.
"I was aware about the activity when it was ongoing in our area in Kigali, but I was busy with work, I kept postponing it until it was over. Today, I said let me go and get registered."
"I arrived at 11 a.m., I have been in the line for about three hours. First, they checked my information to see if it was complete, then I came to this queue to have my photo taken."
He added that his wife and children would also come to register for the Digital IDs, which are expected to be available in July 2027.
Also read: Inside Rwanda's switch to a biometric digital ID
The National Identification Agency (NIDA) said that more than eight million people had been registered for the Digital ID, with more than seven million already photographed.
NIDA Director General Josephine Mukesha told The New Times on Monday that teams were completing the exercise in parts of the Northern and Western provinces.
"We are finishing the exercise in Northern and Western Province. Our teams are in Gakenke, Karongi, Gicumbi, Rutsiro, and we will start Rulindo on Tuesday," Mukesha said.
"We reached over 8 million people who have been registered, more than 7 million have already been photographed," she said.
She said they expected more than 14 million people to have been photographed before the current physical ID cards are phased out in June 2027.
She said some of the barriers to completing the process earlier enough were linked to people having incomplete identity information, particularly when children's births had not been recorded in the civil registry, or when existing records contained errors.
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Parents who have not registered their children can seek help from the sector and provide documents such as a hospital birth document or vaccination card.
Residents can also use Irembo to check and correct information such as the date of birth.
She said services would eventually be activated at sector offices, after which residents would be informed and able to access them locally.
For non-Rwandans, NIDA is working with the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration to facilitate registration for different categories, including people living in refugee camps.
"Everywhere we go, the Immigration team is with us. They help in all categories, including those in refugee camps, and participation is good," Mukesha said.
She encouraged eligible foreign residents who have not yet participated to follow up and obtain the documents required for their respective categories.
The nationwide Digital ID registration exercise began in October 2025, initially covering Nyanza, Huye and Gisagara districts in Southern Province before expanding across the country.
NIDA describes the Digital ID as an evolution of the existing identity system, with technology replacing the physical card as the main means of authentication and giving citizens greater control over their personal information.
